Hotel near the Port of Portobelo

The colonial-era ruins in Portobelo, Panama, are the primary reason to visit this small Caribbean town at the head of a scenic bay, 55 mi/90 km north of Panama City. For more than a century, the colonial settlement served as the main departure point for Spanish treasure fleets, and the heavily-fortified town was sacked several times by pirates and English warships.

The remnants of two Spanish fortresses, Santiago de la Gloria and San Jeronimo, surround Portobelo. The forts are not massive, an...